Enzymes belonging to the ketoreductase (KRED) or carbonyl reductase class (EC1.1.1.184) are useful for the synthesis of optically active alcohols from the corresponding prochiral ketone substrate. KREDs typically convert a ketone substrate to the corresponding alcohol product, but may also catalyze the reverse reaction, oxidation of an alcohol substrate to the corresponding ketone/aldehyde product. The reduction of ketones and the oxidation of alcohols by enzymes such as KRED requires a co-factor, most commonly reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) for the oxidation reaction. NADH and NADPH serve as electron donors, while NAD and NADP serve as electron acceptors. It is frequently observed that ketoreductases and alcohol dehydrogenases accept either the phosphorylated or the non-phosphorylated co-factor (in its oxidized and reduced state), but not both.
KRED enzymes can be found in a wide range of bacteria and yeasts (for reviews: Kraus and Waldman, Enzyme catalysis in organic synthesis, Vols. 1 & 2, VCH Weinheim 1995; Faber, K., Biotransformations in organic chemistry, 4th Ed. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg N.Y. 2000; Hummel and Kula Eur. J. Biochem. 1989 184:1-13). Several KRED gene and enzyme sequences have been reported, e.g., Candida magnoliae (Genbank Acc. No. JC7338; GI:11360538) Candida parapsilosis (Genbank Acc. No. BAA24528.1; GI:2815409), Sporobolomyces salmonicolor (Genbank Acc. No. AF160799; GI:6539734).
In order to circumvent many chemical synthetic procedures for the production of key compounds, ketoreductases are being increasingly employed for the enzymatic conversion of different keto substrates to chiral alcohol products. These applications can employ whole cells expressing the ketoreductase for biocatalytic ketone reductions, or purified enzymes in those instances where presence of multiple ketoreductases affects specificity and yield of the desired product. For in vitro applications, a co-factor (NADH or NADPH) regenerating enzyme such as glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), formate dehydrogenase etc. is used in conjunction with the ketoreductase. Examples using ketoreductases to generate useful chemical compounds include asymmetric reduction of 4-chloroacetoacetate esters (Zhou, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1983 105:5925-5926; Santaniello, J. Chem. Res. (S) 1984:132-133; U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,030; U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,670 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,685); reduction of dioxocarboxylic acids (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,339); reduction of tert-butyl (S) chloro-5-hydroxy-3-oxohexanoate (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,746 and WO 01/40450); reduction pyrrolotriazine-based compounds (e.g., US application No. 2006/0286646); reduction of substituted acetophenones (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,477); and reduction of hydroxythiolanes (WO 2005/054491).
It is desirable to identify other ketoreductase enzymes that can be used to carryout conversion of various keto substrates to its corresponding chiral alcohol products.